president ever to stand at America's helm. This reputation is extremely well

deserved, as Lincoln was able to preserve the Union and gain victory in the

civil war, despite his fighting an uphill battle against his own presidential

cabinet. Had he not been struggling against this divided government, President

Lincoln could have achieved victory with extreme efficiency and a minimum of

wanton bloodshed. After Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, he

was forced to battle a split cabinet because of campaign promises made to

various Republican factions, which made it almost mandatory for certain

individuals to be appointed to cabinet posts. He ruled his cabinet with an iron

hand, and often acted without cabinet consent or advice

His good acts have been magnified and his opposition overlooked in the passage of time. Even so, Lincoln, against all odds, looms as the greatest of Presidents.

effective way to get anything done. In the beginning, Lincoln's secretary of state, William H. Seward, clearly considered himself the President's superior, and blandly offered to assume the executive responsibility. He entered the cabinet with the thought of becoming the power behind the Presidential chair and openly opposed Lincoln's control of the Union. This made Lincoln's position as Chief of State exceedingly difficult and hindered his communication and control of the military. As time passed, however, Seward recognized Lincoln's capabilities and gave him complete loyalty. This could not be said of Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln's first secretary of the treasury. Blinded by a

Some common words found in the essay are:
President Lincoln, Edwin Stanton, Abraham Lincoln, Chase Lincoln's, Stanton Welles, Simon Cameron, John Nicolay, William Seward, Gideon Welles, Union Lincoln's, own presidential, lincoln's secretary, abraham lincoln, secretary war,
Approximate Word count = 564
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)